


A kiss for a kiss

by ChocoNut



Series: Many ways to say I love you [13]
Category: A Song of Ice and Fire & Related Fandoms, A Song of Ice and Fire - George R. R. Martin, Game of Thrones (TV)
Genre: F/M, First Kiss, Jaime doesn’t die, Love Confessions, Post Season 7, Post canon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-13
Updated: 2019-03-13
Packaged: 2019-11-16 14:00:01
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,566
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18095696
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ChocoNut/pseuds/ChocoNut
Summary: When Jaime falls during the battle of Winterfell, Brienne impulsively kisses him.





	A kiss for a kiss

“Jaime,” he heard her whisper as she bent over him, her warm breath on his face a welcome change from the icy winds of the winter.

“Wench,” he managed, her face flashing in and out of focus as his eyesight began to fade. He could feel the life rapidly draining out of him. Time was all he wanted, though sadly, it was the only thing that wasn’t on his side at the moment.

 _So many unspoken words, so much to tell her…_ “Brienne, before I die--”

“Shut up,” she growled, grasping his hand so tightly that it hurt. But what hurt more was the regret in his heart. How many opportunities he had missed! How many times he could have told her what she meant to him, but he didn't! Now that his end was near, he wanted her to know how he felt about her, to tell her everything he had been holding back all these years.

This was the only chance he had, his last few minutes. But before he could speak, her lips were on his.

Before he could realize what was happening, she was kissing him fiercely, her hands cradling his face as he felt hot tears fall on his cheek. He wanted to wipe away her grief, to kiss her back and tell her that he loved her, but his strength gave way before he could return her affection.

+++++  

When Jaime opened his eyes, the first thought to strike him was surprise that he was still alive. He found himself next to a wide-eyed Samwell Tarly peering at him, his chubby face full of anxiety. To his other side was Tyrion, the second of the only two people who really bothered if he was dead or alive.

“You’ll be fine in a few days, Ser Jaime,” Tarly reassured him before leaving.

Once the boy had gone and he was alone with Tyrion, Jaime scanned the room, looking for the one face he longed to see the most.

“She didn’t come,” Tyrion informed him, impeccably reading his mind as usual. “After you passed out in her arms, all she did was summon help and hand you over to Tarly.”

“Not even once?” Jaime inquired, his voice hoarse due to lack of use for long.

Tyrion shook his head. “But I’ve been told that she did keep checking all night with Tarly on your progress.”

Jaime turned away, wondering what could be the reason for her sudden indifference. Last night she had been the only one by his side when he had nearly breathed his last. Hells, she had even kissed him! If that didn’t mean what he thought it did, then--

“It’s time you both had a long talk,” his brother said, giving him a long, hard look.

“I’ve been meaning to,” Jaime agreed, Brienne’s conspicuous absence eating him, tormenting him more than his physical pain.

“Do it soon,” Tyrion urged. “With the war raging, you may not get another chance. Don’t wait until last night repeats again. You’re fortunate to have survived, the next time, you may not.”

+++++

While Jaime was on the path to recovery over the next couple of days, the wench never once showed up. She was mostly confined to her chambers, and whenever he expressed the desire to meet her, she made it a point to come up with some or the other excuse, successfully evading him. Even during meals, she made sure their time didn’t coincide, ensuring they never met. Days had passed and he was yet to see her, his frustration only mounting with her behaviour, raising doubts in his mind. Was he the one to have misinterpreted their last interaction? Did the kiss mean nothing to her?

One night he lay tossing and turning in his bed before finally deciding that it was now or never. Quickly pulling on some clothes, he rushed to her chambers, unable to wait any longer.

“Brienne, I know you’re in there,” he called out, knocking incessantly on her door. “You can’t avoid me anymore. Let me in, I want to talk to you.”

All he was rewarded with was silence.

“I’m staying here all night if you don’t speak to me,” he persisted, determined not to let her sleep in peace tonight. “So you’d better open the door, my lady!” He was about to bang his fist to it again when it opened this time.

Pushing past her, he shut the door behind him.

“What’s going on, wench?”  Arms crossed against his chest, he moved closer, glaring at her as he spoke.

She didn’t answer, but took a step backward, flustered by his sudden proximity. “Go on, tell me,” he urged, advancing on her and cornering her to the wall. “I’m here to know why you’ve been doing this.”

“Doing what?” If she was as agitated as him, it didn’t show on her face.

“Stop this pretence!” he shouted. “You know very well why I’m here, wench.”

“I don’t--” she began to deny, but Jaime could stand it no more.

“Haven’t we had enough of this?” he cried out, unable to hide the agony in his voice. He closed his eyes for a moment, trying to calm himself down. “What are we doing, Brienne?” he asked, softening his gaze.

“I don’t know what you mean.” She continued to feign ignorance.

“Can we take a moment to talk about that kiss?” he decided to confront her. “Or... are you going to pretend it never happened?”

She blushed at the intensity of his gaze. “Forgive me, Ser Jaime,” she mumbled, hurriedly averting her eyes. “It was an act of impulse, something I did because I--”

“--couldn’t bear to see me die in your arms?” he prompted. “Something you’ve been wanting to do for long, but couldn’t because of our conflicting commitments?”

Her eyes were now moist, the first strong sign of emotion since he had entered. “Ofcourse, I couldn’t see you die,” she replied, her chin beginning to wobble as it usually did whenever she was on the verge of tears. “I told you it was something that happened in the heat of the moment, because--”

“--you love me,” he finished, hoping he was right.

She stared at the ground in silence, neither accepting nor refuting his claim, her deepening blush giving him the much-needed courage to go on.

“How long are we going to continue tormenting each other, my lady?” he asked, taking another step closer to her. “Isn’t it time to stop running away from the truth and start acknowledging how much we mean to each other?”

She looked up at him. “That kiss was unintentional, Ser Jaime--”

“You called me _Jaime_ when I fell,” he pointed out, unable to forget that change in her. “That kiss might have been unintentional or impulsive, but it is the best thing that’s ever happened to me, Brienne,” he admitted.

To his surprise, her face fell. “Please don’t tease me about it,” she said, her voice a sad whisper. “I love you, Ser Jaime, if that’s what you want to know, but I don’t expect the same from you. I was once in love with Renly too, while he never--”

The rest of what she had to say remained unsaid, for Jaime pinned her against the wall and kissed her deeply, knowing it was only way to lay bare his heart. He was never as good as Tyrion with words, and what better way to express his feelings than to show her? _A kiss for a kiss,_ he thought, teasing her lips with his tongue, seeking entry into her mouth, wanting nothing more than to feel every bit of her. Surprised at first, Brienne began to respond, taking what he gave and giving him what he had been aching for all these years.

“I am _not_ Renly,” he said, panting, when they stopped to breathe. “I came here to finish what you started that night, wench.” He ran his thumb along the scar over her lip, feeling her twitch under his touch. “Do you still feel I’m teasing you? Believe me, Brienne, mockery is the last thing on my mind these days where you’re concerned. I came here to tell you what I couldn’t that night, but I suppose I’m terrible with words. You, of all the people should know that very well.”

She took his hand in hers. “I know what you mean,” she whispered, kissing him gently. “I can feel it. You don’t have to say it--”

“You deserve to hear it, my lady.” He took a deep breath before finally saying the words that seemed to be stuck in his throat every time he tried to get them out. “I love you, Lady Brienne, and I am yours if you’ll have me.”

She wrapped her arms around his neck, locking eyes with his. “That night was the worst moment of my life, Ser Jaime. It left me pleading with the gods, begging them to spare you, to let you live--”

He silenced her with his fingers. “I may die in the arms of the woman I love, but not just yet. Tonight, I wish to live my life in her arms--” he gave her a mischievous smile “--if she would oblige me.”

Brienne smiled, a shy little smile that did strange things to him. “Why wouldn’t she, my lord?” she asked, blushing. “After all, she’s always been yours…”

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading and do let me know in your comments if you liked it :)


End file.
